Blind with Little to Offer
by Kabashka
Summary: As Inuyasha retrieves a forgotten math book for Kagome, he finds a crying Souta. He learns something about Kagome and her family that he had been very blind to.


A.N.: This is my first Inuyasha fic. Let me know if I should stop and end my miserable fanfiction.net existence.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. I wish I did.  
  
~*~*~  
  
I was Blind  
  
Inuyasha was scowling. It was nothing new. He was scowling when he jumped into the well, leaving the feudal era. He was scowling when he jumped out of the well, into the modern era. He was scowling, still, when he leapt into a tree nearest the window he was trying to climb through.  
  
He really didn't even know why he was scowling.  
  
Maybe, because, he was doing something foreignly known as a good deed? No. That couldn't be it. He'd gone out of his way to help people more than once in his life. Could it be the fact that he was doing a good deed of his own free will? Yes. That had to be it.  
  
The night was dark. The crescent moon, a mere sliver in the sky. Perhaps he was scowling at that. The fact that he would be vulnerable in a matter of few days, drained for a night's agonizing length, of his youkai blood. He growled instinctively at the thought. Human did not suit his style.  
  
Yet as the crickets chirped in the background, stars in sync with the naturally melodic sound, he wondered just why he was doing a favor for a human. 'Idiot.' He barked at himself softly. 'She's not just any human.'  
  
Inuyasha sighed as he slid the window open. The warmth of the room hit him in the face, bringing with it a scent which he often desired more of. Blinking, Inuyasha slipped gracefully into the room, landing in a crouch on his bare feet causing little more than a light thump on the carpet. He inhaled the smells in the room, deciding that every one of them was to his liking. Every one of them had something very familiar. Something uniquely Kagome.   
  
Kagome. Why was he in her room again? Not to bring her back to the feudal era. She was already there, stressing adorably about her forgotten math book.   
  
That's it. Inuyasha came for her math book. He grinned a little, imagining Kagome when he would go back to the hut, finding her ripping her lovely black tendrils of hair from her head. She would be red-faced, edgy, and restless when sleep time came, and who would step in? Inuyasha would, math book in hand, causing the fussing girl's eyes to water in relief and happiness. She would drop the annoying little fox demon that horded her attention, and run into the hanyou's arms, thanking him, appreciating him.......  
  
And hopefully, if luck was on his side, would promise him no 'sits' for a whole week.  
  
Now grinning a little goofily, one fang hanging over his bottom lip, he began his search for the math book. He was surprised he hadn't found it lying on the desk, where he had often found her slumped over in needed rest (to which he would immediately take his precious time carrying her back to her bed). So, he searched the drawers, finding everything but what he needed. He found those strange candies on white sticks. Lollipops? Yes, those were it. He helped himself to one, leaving the wrapper on the floor, and tucked a few more into his haori. He found some chocolate, quickly sneaking those in too. He pondered that if his luck got any better, not only would he find that elusive math book, but Kagome's mother would be awake to cook him up some ramen. But it was late, the thought was far fetched; he thought no more of it.  
  
Slamming the last drawer of the desk closed, Inuyasha let himself fall back on the floor. He sat cross-legged for a moment, white lollipop stick protruding from his mouth. He turned the little pink night stand on the head of her bed. Shrugging, he opened the top drawer, revealing the object he was looking for. With a lopsided grin, he snatched it up with one clawed hand, and as he pulled it from its confinement, something flittered down the floor. His golden yellow eyes flickered in curiosity. Plucking it mid-air during its decent, he noticed it was a badly written (handwriting wise) letter. The spelling and grammar was off (not that his was perfect, either), but he knew what it said;  
  
"Sorry I got mad Kagome. I got you a new book when I herd heard you lost the other one. I miss you. Mom Grandpa and me wait for you so come back soon.  
  
love Souta"  
  
Inuyasha cocked his head to one side. Souta had always helped his sister by fetching her school work for her while she was in the feudal era, so that didn't surprise the hanyou. But the small, written display of affection; 'I miss you,' 'love Souta,' made him crack a little smile. Kagome was sure lucky that she didn't have a homicidal, hateful, piss-face taiyoukai for a brother. Inuyasha growled.   
  
Suddenly, his nose caught something. He sniffed a few more times before realizing what the smell was. He recognized it. Accompanying the smell was the sound of footsteps, crescendoing softly through the hall, straight to Kagome's room. Inuyasha made no move to hide himself, though he knew he was setting himself up for an ear twitching or tackling. He tucked the letter between the text book. Soon, the clicking of the door was heard, followed by sniffles from a little nose. Inuyasha turned his neck at an angle to watch as Kagome's very own little brother walked into the room in yellow pajamas, a blanket clutched in one hand and trailing behind him. He wiped his eyes with the back of his sleeve.  
  
'The little runt is crying.' Inuyasha realized. He found himself thoroughly confused.  
  
As soon as Souta looked up, he gasped, and then squinted his eyes. "I-Inuyasha Onii-chan?"  
  
Inuyasha blinked. The kid wasn't jumping with joy? Wasn't tackling him to the ground? He didn't really know what to say. He said something unintelligible, for it came out in muffled syllables by the lollipop. He spat it out on the floor. "Oi, kid. What's wrong with you?"  
  
"Uh." Souta wiped furiously at his eyes, drying remaining tears. "N-nothing, Inu-Onii-chan."  
  
Liar. "Your eyes are all red and puffy." Inuyasha pointed at him. "Keh. Men don't cry."  
  
Souta pointedly ignored that comment. "Is Sis with you?" He asked instead.  
  
Inuyasha shook his head. "Hell no, Kid. I just got her back down the well a week ago!" He stood up, stretching his arms over his head while still clutching the math book. "I'm just getting this little waste of time book she's always whining about."  
  
If there was one word that could be said of Inuyasha, it would be insensitivity. As a matter of fact, just about every person who had come into contact with him said just that. He denied it, of course, but once in a new moon, he would notice that he didn't understand why he denied it. He always covered his emotions, he bitched a lot at Kagome for leaving to go to school, and he certainly did whine a lot when they ended up distracted from searching for the Shikon shards. He was selfish when it came to food, too.  
  
However, there were other times when it wasn't just insensitivity at work. It was the hanyou's thick skull and dense mined that would not allow him to process the emotions of others.  
  
Such was one of those times.  
  
Inuyasha watched with wide eyes as Souta's bottom lip trembled. Tears gathered like pools and finally broke, flowing down his white, childish cheeks. Shit. He made Kagome's brother cry without even knowing how he did it. So much for not getting sat.   
  
As soon as Inuyasha sensed the boy about to wail loudly, he nearly broke into a nervous sweat, waving his arms in front of him, kneeling down on his knees so that he would be at eye level with the child. "O-oi, what are you cryin' for?! Wha'd I do!?"  
  
  
  
Souta sniffled violently, wiping away the constant tears with the back of his sleeve. "I-I-I...." he sniffled again, accompanied by a hiccup, "I..."  
  
Inuyasha searched his face wildly, trying to make sense of him. "You what? Just spit it out!"  
  
"I miss my sister!" He sobbed.   
  
Oh.  
  
Ohh.  
  
Inuyasha cursed himself. Of course. Souta cares deeply for his sister, and she him.   
  
Why didn't he see it before? He had seen photograph books (though he still couldn't understand a 'camera'), of Kagome and her family, how happy they all were together. Hugs they all shared, Souta always helping Kagome get her homework together, they way they all ate dinner together. Like a family. There was even the time Kagome nearly broke Inuyasha's back from sitting him so much, just so that she could go to Souta's birthday party. Man, was he pissed off that day. He went right through that well to give her a good bitch and moaning she'd never forget. He had forgotten why the moment he saw the streamers, the children, the family, and Kagome.   
  
The way she smiled.   
  
How happy she was.  
  
How often was it when he made her that happy? Not often.  
  
She had a family. They were happy. How could he have been so stupid to have not seen that? That the woman he loved was probably hurting inside because of his selfishness?  
  
He loved her.   
  
Yeah. He was sure of it now.  
  
As Inuyasha looked at the boy in front of him, he felt his insides twist. He was breaking them all up. With heavy guilt in his eyes and in his heart, he lifted his hand to rest on Souta's head. "I'm... sorry."  
  
From that little gesture, Inuyasha found himself latched in a death grip hug. He looked down to see Souta, his face tucked into his haori, only to damp it with his tears. The little boy was squeezing so hard, Inuyasha thought that maybe he was trying to crush him on purpose. He wouldn't have been surprised. He patted Souta's back, not quite sure what to do.   
  
"C'mon, Kid. Be tough. I'll bring your sister home real soon, okay? I won't even put up a fight with her." Inuyasha said, after Souta's hiccups and tears subsided. "I'll even carry that giant bag of hers, so she'll be in a good mood."  
  
Souta sniffled again, pulling away and wiping his nose with the blanket he had been trudging around. He smiled a little. "Will you come, too? Stay for dinner?"  
  
Inuyasha laid a hand on the boy's head, ruffling his hair a little. "If your mom and sister will have me. I guess I wouldn't mind at all."  
  
Souta smiled, brighter now. "Will you come see my new video game?"  
  
"Uh..." Inuyasha scratched the back of his head. "Sure."  
  
"Tuck me in, Inu-Onii-chan?"  
  
If Souta were anyone else, Inuyasha probably would have told him to go away, die, or screw himself. Or, if that person were giving Inuyasha the same large, hopeful, pleading eyes as Souta were pulling on him now, he would have found himself as too much of an ass to let the child down. It was almost as bad as when Kagome cried. Gods, how he hated it when she cried.   
  
With a sigh, Inuyasha nodded and stood up. Waiting to follow Souta to his room. He was surprised when he wrapped his tiny hand around two of Inuyasha's fingers, happily dragging him out of Kagome's room. After walking down the hall, and abruptly turning into Souta's room, the little boy detached himself from the hanyou, switched on the light, and clambered into bed.   
  
Inuyasha wasn't really sure what to do. "You don't need a story or anything to go to sleep, do you?"  
  
Souta shook his head, "Nope."   
  
With a shrug, Inuyasha patted the boy's head and pulled the covers up to his neck.  
  
"Inuyasha?" He yawned.   
  
"What?"  
  
"Is my sister brave in your time?"  
  
Visions of Kagome flickered through Inuyasha's mind; Ruffled hair, torn clothes, flushed and dirty cheeks from battle. And yet as she pulled back the string of her bow, arrow perched ahead of the enemy as she stared it down, only the flame of determination burned in her eyes.  
  
"Ya know," Inuyasha said, all sincerity in his voice, "Sometimes she's braver than me."  
  
That made Souta smile largely. "Do you love her?"  
  
'What? Of course I do, Brat.' Inuyasha looked down at the math book in his hand. Suddenly finding it rather interesting. He didn't know what to say. Little kid might tell Kagome. Then agian, he knew that Souta saw him as his sort of hero role model. "Promise not to say a word?"  
  
"I promise!"  
  
"If you're lying, I'll feed you to a youkai!"  
  
Souta gulped. "Uh... I promise I won't tell anyone."  
  
Inuyasha stood up and turned around. Souta was about to protest the hanyou's silence, thinking he was going to just walk out without a word. Inuyasha's voice finally came, deep, yet soft at the same time. "Yeah. I do love Kagome."   
  
Souta smiled sleepily as he watched Inuyasha walk to the door, stopping to turn off the light. "Goodnight, Inu-Onii-chan." Souta thought for a moment, and said, "You know, you're part of the family, too."  
  
Inuyasha smiled, a bit of sadness to it. "Thanks, Kid. 'Night."  
  
Inuyasha closed the door softly behind him, making his way to Kagome's window. He wondered about the perfect time he would get to tell Kagome how he felt. He wondered when that perfect time would come. Although it was more than kind to welcome him into their home, he would not allow himself to come so close to Kagome's family. Not until they defeated Naraku. Not until he had something to offer Kagome.  
  
Not until he could find a different way to put Kikyo to rest.  
  
With a heavy heart, Inuyasha stepped out into the cold night air, sliding the window gently closed behind him.   
  
Soon, he thought. Soon, he could make Kagome smile brightly, too. Just for him.  
  
~*~*~  
  
A.N.: .......I wonder if that fic had any point to it.   
  
A good movie to see: Trainspotting   
  
A good song to hear: Asia no Junshin (by Puffy AmiYumi) 


End file.
